The 2014 Extravaganza is over … you can take it home by getting the DVDs and CDs … and put May 7-9, 2015 on your calendars … we will be at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver!

Look what you missed during the 2013 Extravaganza!

Join Us for Author U’s Extravaganza
May 1-3, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency, Denver Tech Center

About

3 jammed-packed days, you will be working with amazing book marketing strategists, publicists, Internet gurus … all done in an intense workshop environment …

What do Mark Coker, President of Smashwords, Dan Poynter, author of The Self Publishing Manual, John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, Penny Sansevieri, author of Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon.com, Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound,  Daniel Hall, the webinar king, Stephanie Barko, top literary publicist, Joel Comm, social media and marketing pioneer and a dozen plus other publishing and book pros have in common? All will be at the Author U Extravaganza May 1-3–speaking, sharing their expertise and hanging out.

The question is: Are you ready to invest in yourself and your book?

They are committed to you and your book’s success … are you?

Bonus Session on Thursday, May 1st with Penny Sanseveiri will reveal: How to Sell More Books … Now! Penny is one of the top Internet Book Marketing Strategists, book columnist with the Huffington Post and author of Red Hot Internet Publicity.

Times: Eagles (advanced) and Eaglet (newbies) workshops will be Thursday noon and end with the Trade Show with Exhibitors opening, Dinner, than Penny’s Deep Dive workshop.

Note: there is a Special Publishing Strategy workshop at 10:00 am til noon that is FREE to all Thursday attendees–be there! It’s all about setting up you and your business and building your author/book platform–do not miss it! Georgia McCabe and Judith Briles will deep dive into must-haves.

Friday starts at 8 am and goes through dinner and entertainment ending around 9:00 pm, Saturday at 7.30 with the Sunrise Speaker Session and ends at 5:00 pm.

Second Bonus: You may register additional friends, colleagues or family members for a reduced fee who are not already Author U members. Most meals are included.

Author Shark Tank … 

Three HOT sessions will be available. Only ONE Extravaganza Attendee can get his or her toe in the Author Shark Tank at a time. Our panel will listen for a few minutes to your pitch (hear/read that: LISTEN) and then decide IF and HOW they will help the author in the book quest.

What’s the value to you? It could be money; it could be time; it could be a product–as in I have this that I sell all day for $497, it’s yours; it could be the joint venture creation of a product that features the author and his or her book—that is blasted to mega thousands to buy; it could be printing reduction; it could be a book cover; it could be a discount on a layout; it could be … What it could be will be solely dependent on YOU and YOUR PITCH to hook them and could be worth many thousands of dollars. Or if you bomb, you may only end up with a shark tooth! To enter the tank, there’s a fee. There are only 3 spots this year–will one be yours? 1 spot is left!

Author Shark Tank participants are identified on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will get pre-conference coaching from Judith Briles prior to entering the Tank.

Pick Their Brains

Throughout Friday and Saturday, many of our speakers and Experts are available for face-to-face, one-on-ones … for $20, have your critical, must have answers to, questions ready and ask, ask, ask–get a maxi-consult in mini-time for mini-bucks. Hot!You get 15 minutes.

All moneys go to the Author U Foundation which will seed the Authors Hall of Fame, a 501c3 organization supported by Author U. You must register for Pick Their Brains onsite at the Author U Registration Desk–it’s a first come, first served basis based on availability of the expert.

Mark Coker                           John Kremer                                 Amy Collins

Dan Poynter                        Amber Ludwig                               Penny Sansevieri

Susan Gilbert                      Daniel Hall                                    Joan Stewart

Steve Replin                       Justine Schofield                            Robin Cutler

Stephanie Barko                  Joel Comm                                   Georgia McCabe Judith Briles

Order Here

Count me in for the Author U Extravaganza 2014!

There will be no refunds after April 1, 2014. A cancellation fee of $200 will be assessed if canceled prior to April 1, 2014.

It’s Camera Time! Create a Video at the Extravaganza … Create a short (4 minute or less) VIDEO while you are at the Extravaganza this year. You could talk about your book; snippets of character dilemmas; a pitch for a book launch; you; the next book as a “tease” to current fans; you can post it on your website and YouTube. Use your imagination. Andre Gilbert will do the shoot in Ballroom B—lightning will be good—you will have a 20 minute window, so retakes are a possibility. You will get a link via email within a week post the Extravaganza. Get signed up for this baby now—only for attendees … and only Friday and Saturday. Cost is $50.

At A Glance

Here’s What’s Happening at the Extravaganza ~ May 1-3, 2014!

Over THREE amazing days, you will be working with amazing book marketing strategists, publicists, Internet gurus, audio and video pioneers … all done in an intense workshop environment … these three days will add to your creativity, your ability to effectively communicate with anyone about you and your book and connect with the players you need now to get you where you need to go.

~Thursday~

Keynote   10:00-11:50 am
Georgia McCabe and Judith Briles Strategic Visioning Plans that Every Author Needs to Begin the Publishing Journey and Creating Your Author and Book Platforms

Eaglets  (newbies)    12:10 to 4:25 pm  sponsored by  1106 Design

12:10-12:55          Nick Zelinger              Nuggets for Newbies
1:00-1:45              Randy Kuckuck        This Little Book Went to Market
1:45-2:00              Break
2:00-2:45              Tammy Bleck             How to Turn Your Blog into Big Bucks  
2:50-3:35              Kathi Dunn                 Does Your Book Need a Makeover Before It’s Printed?
3:35-3:45              Break
3:45-4:25              Steve Replin              The Wide World of Legalese 

Eagles (advanced)   12:10 to 4:25  sponsored by  WaveCloud

12:10-12:55          Kelly Johnson           Stage Right: it’s the Virtual Assistant-Add Time to Your Day!
1:00-1:45              Joan Stewart             Fast & Free Easy Ways to Research Journalists & Bloggers Before You Pitch!
1:45-2:00              Break
2:00-2:45              Bret Ridgway             Beyond the Book
2:50-3:35              Justine Schofield        Crowdfunding for Authors
3:35-3:45              Break
3:45-4:25              Amy Collins                Selling Your Books on Amazon and Other Online Retailers

4:30-6:00 Dinner with the Exhibitors & Auction –Woo-Hoo … you get the sneak peek!    (Dinner and Deep Dive Workshop is Extra)
6:00-9:00 Deep Dive Workshop with Penny Sansevieri  … How to Sell More Books! Top 5 Author Platform Building Blocks
          
Throughout Friday and Saturday:

• Discover the perfect gift for you or a friend on one of the many Auction tables in the Exhibit area.

• Get a 15-minute neck, shoulder, back massage that will revitalize your body and spirit under the magic fingers of Debra Rapinchuk in the Registration area.

• Visit every Exhibitor and complete your Exhibitor Bingo card-at the last session, someone will win a FREE registration to next year’s Extravaganza.

• You can meet one-on-one with many of the speakers for a 15 minute laser session for a small fee. All schedules will be posted at the Registration desk.

• Visit our bookstore to take home the books of our speakers.

• Many of our attendees will be at tables in Exhibits signing their own books—check them out!

~Friday~

8:00 am to 9:00 pm

7:00 -8:00        Registration, Exhibits & Auction   
8:00-8:10         Welcome and Opening  
8:10-9:10           Mark Coker                 10 Trends Driving the future of Publishing Revolution
9:15-10:15          Amber Ludwig           Make Your Website Do the Work
10:15-11:00        AM Break & Exhibits & Auction
11:00-11:25        Author Shark Tank   
11:25-12:25         John Kremer               The Secret to Marketing on the Internet in Less than an Hour
12:25-1:25             Lunch Sponsored by Color House Graphics  & Exhibits & Auction   
1:25-2:25              Daniel Hall                  Audio Book Cash Flow: Fast and Easy  
2:30-3:30             Georgia McCabe        Are You Fiddling with Social Media While Rome Burns?
3:30-4:00             PM Break & Exhibits & Auction
4:00-4:25             Author Shark Tank
4:25-5:20             Mary Jo Fay                Your 30-Second Elevator Pitch
5:25-6:25              Rounds with the Pros
6:30-9:30             Dinner and Entertainment
Get ready to tickle your funny bone with Tim Gard!

Have a good night’s rest … tomorrow is jam-packed … with the EARLY SUNRISE with Joan Stewart and COFFEE session at 7:10 am:

Quick and Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write!

Block the dates for next year, May 7-9, 2015 on your calendar.

~Saturday~

7:10 am to 5:00 pm
    
Throughout Saturday, you may buy 15 minutes of a Speaker’s time for $20—all proceeds benefit the Author U Foundation. You must sign up at Registration for times.

7:00 -8:00             Registration, Exhibits & Auction     
7:10-8:00              Joan Stewart                 EARLY SUNRISE Workshop—don’t miss this:
                                                                         Quick and Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write
8:00-8:10            Welcome Back!         
8:10-9:00            Amy Collins           Available Wherever Books Are Sold!
9:05-10:00          Dan Poynter           Targeting Potential Customer
10:00-10-40         AM Break & Exhibits & Auction
10:40-11:05         Author Shark Tank
11:05-12:00         Stephanie Barko     Your Virtual Book Blog Tour
12:05-1:00           Joel Comm              Ka-Ching!
1:00-1:45             Lunch & Last Visit to Exhibits & Last Chance to BID on  Auction items
1:45-2:40              Susan Gilbert             YouTube from Soup to Nuts
2:45-3:40             Patrice Baum-Rhoades  Creating the Author One-Sheet
3:40-3:55              PM Break … Pay for Your Auction items
3:55-4:50            Judith Briles               Creating a $1,000,000 Speech with Your Book

4:45-5:00             Wrap-Up, Grand Prize Drawing       

 Next year’s Extravaganza May 7-9, 2015 … get it on your calendar now.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS

Publishing Essentials

MARK COKER
10 Trends Driving the Future of Publishing
Publishing continues to change. Get the 10 biggest trends shaping the future of publishing today. Learn why the power center in the publishing industry is shifting from publishers to writers.  Are you ready to get on the inside track with the internationally recognized expert on ebooks and publishing trends?

Mark Coker founded Smashwords in 2008 to make it fast, free and easy for every writer to publish and distribute an ebook.  Today, 80,000 authors around the world publish and distribute over 250,000 books with Smashwords. Mark’s three books about ebook publishing best practices—The Smashwords Style Guide, The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, and The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success—have become essential references for every indie author and have been downloaded over 500,000 times.

AMBER LUDWIG
Make Your Website Do the Work: The 6 Site MUST-Haves to Sell More Books, Improve Your Credibility and Grow Your Following
Is your website professionally branded and confidently showcasing your message? Is it generating consistent leads and sales or are you embarrassed to promote it? Website expert Amber Ludwig is excited to take you on a journey through exactly what works and what doesn’t so you can grow your following and bottom line results. In this mouth-watering session you can expect to:

• Take a guided tour through several websites and finally, learn the missing piece that could be getting you more sales.
• Learn the two things that if not done correctly can really turn off prospects and ruin your results.
• Discover the key strategies to motivate website visitors to share your content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

 Amber Ludwig is an online business development expert who supports authors, speakers and coaches to establish a powerful, integrated online presence that gets results and empowers them to make a difference in their industry. Since starting her multi-six-figure company NGNG Enterprises (standing for No Guts No Glory) in 2007, Amber and her team have worked one-on-one with each client creating more than 200 WordPress websites. Amber knows how a website needs to function in order to generate sales, build a fan base and attract long-term clientele. She works with clients to build a strong, branded social media presence, coaches each client on which manageable actions will help them achieve their online goals and then walks them through exactly how to do it.

AMY COLLINS
Selling Your Books at Amazon and Other Online Retailers.  Today’s Facts, Not Yesterday’s Myths.

More people buy books online now than anywhere else.  Amazon, B&N.com and BooksaMillion.com sells books… tons of them. Every few months, Amazon and the other retailers change how they work.  Do you know the new programs and rules?  Learn how to work WITHIN the systems so the internet becomes a partner.

• Optimize your Amazon page: what you must do to start showing up in more searches.
• What reviews can and cannot do for you.  How Amazon works vs. everyone else
• How eBooks and print books work together and the differences that you need to know
• When to offer your book for less
• How to get other bestselling authors to “recommend” your book and ebook
• How to optimize your book title, subtitle and keywords online for more sales
• Making your Author Central page work for you.
• Reviews count: quick and easy strategies to get more.

 Amy Collins has over 25 years’ experience selling and marketing books. In 2006 Amy created a book sales company which quickly turned into New Shelves Distribution, the fastest-growing book distribution company in North America. New Shelves offers book sales, ebook creation, warehousing, distribution and marketing services as well as consulting and marketing for publishers and authors.

Patrice Rhoades-Baum
What’s in Your Brand Wallet?
Are you new at authoring? How about publishing? Have you been at it for a while? Are you changing direction? Do you need a makeover (maybe)? Your clear brand provides a solid foundation for your hardworking marketing toolkit: a strategic website, Speaker/Author One-Sheet, and even your elevator pitch!  It’s critical to clarify your brand. For you. For your book.

Even if you’ve been authoring and publishing for years, it’s critical to clarify your brand—it provides a solid foundation for your hardworking marketing toolkit: a strategic website, speaker/author one-sheet, and even your elevator pitch!

• Clarifying your brand is a critical foundation to your authoring and publishing success.
• Your clear brand enables you to create your marketing toolkit: website, author one-sheet, stationery package.
• Once armed with a strategic and hardworking marketing toolkit, you have the tools you need to promote and grow your business—via any marketing, promotion, and out-reach strategies you choose.

 Patrice Rhoades-Baum developed her Nail Your Brand!™ system while clarifying the brand for her own business. Since then, she has teamed with hundreds of consultants, authors, speakers, and other business owners to clarify their brand.

Marketing Essentials

DAN POYNTER
Targeting Potential Customers … Send announcements on your book only to people who care

Stop using the scatter-splatter method. It doesn’t work—never has, never well. It is cheaper and more effective to stop annoying the general public, such as with newspaper ads. Send email announcements on your book only to people who are fascinated by the subject.

Dan will describe the new ways to promote your book and will provide you with the necessary tools. All specifics, no generalities. Whether you sell out to a publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. This has always been true. Today, book promotion is faster, easier, cheaper, and a lot more fun.

• Get the latest statistics and scenarios.
• Get your book the recognition it deserves.

 Dan Poynter is an author 130⁺ books, publisher since 1969, and speaker. His seminars have been featured on CNN, his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and his story has been told in The New York Times. The media come to Dan because he is the leading authority on book publishing. A professional speaker, he travels worldwide, more than 6,000 miles each week to share his book plan. Dan is a past vice-president of the Independent Book Publishers Asso­ciation.

JOHN KREMER
The Secret to Marketing on the Internet in Less Than an Hour a Day
Are you overwhelmed by blogging, social media, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, GoodReads, YouTube, Amazon Connect, and all the other things you’re supposed to do to market your books on the Internet? John has the answers you need to spend less time marketing and more time selling books.

 Book marketing expert John Kremer is the owner of Open Horizons Publishing in Taos, New Mexico. He is the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, Book Marketing Magic, The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, and many others books.

As a book marketing consultant, his clients include a self-published author who has sold over two million books, a new age publisher with 60 titles, and a $100 million publisher with a rapidly growing list of 1,000 titles.

JOAN STEWART
Quick and Dirty Blog Posts When You Don’t Have Time to Write
How many times have you put off blogging because you dread researching writing, rewriting, proofreading and finding a photo? You need a toolbox of quick and dirty blog posts ideas and fill-in-the-blank templates. Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, who has worked as a writing coach and newspaper editor, knows all the shortcuts on how to write quickly when there’s no time to write.
You will learn:

• Topics for blog posts that require no more than two paragraphs.
• Killer ideas you can write during and after the Author U Extravaganza.
• Clever ways to save your time and your sanity by repurposing content you’ve created elsewhere.

 Publicity expert Joan Stewart, aka The Publicity Hound, works with authors who want to use traditional media for publicity, and social media to build a loyal base of raving fans. For almost two decades, she has also trained and coached thousands of CEOs and business owners, nonprofit executives, PR agency staff, publicists, marketing directors, speakers and experts via live events, online training, consulting, and her private mentor program. A prolific blogger, she is the author of four books on publicity and has an international following of subscribers to her popular ezine, The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week, in its 13th year of publication. Joan has helped her clients get coverage in top-tier media such as the Wall Street Journal and the Today show.

STEPHANIE BARKO
Virtual Book Blog Tours
Social media is a critical factor to your book marketing success. When it comes to promotion and publicity for authors and books, it’s easy to get lost and confused. One tool that works well is the Virtual Blog Tour—a promotional strategy that is effective at the launch of a book and to revitalize a limp one. Three questions usually pop up with authors around promotion and publicity.

1. What is a Virtual Blog Tour?
2. What works best for you and your book?
3. What will it cost?

Your take-aways will include timelines, costs, and the how-tos. Your will come away with a clear understanding of how to create one; how to engage with those to support it; and a sense of direction for your book project.

 Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist was voted Preditors & Editors Best Book Promotion Service in 2011. Her award-winning clients include traditional publishers and their authors, small presses, and independently published writers.

MARY JO FAY
Your 30-Second Elevator Pitch
Whether you wrote your book as a means to be an expert in your field, or you have a dream of penning a best seller, every author needs a 30-second elevator pitch … few have one. As writers who put thousands of words between two covers, this is often one of the  hardest task!

• Who are you?
• What is your book about?
• What do you want people to do about it?
• Buy your book?
• Hire you to speak or consult with?
• What?

If you literally can’t condense you and your book into a 30 second, passionate, intriguing commercial, you’re losing valuable opportunities. You are  not ready to be on radio or TV where sound bites and “quickie” interviews demand being succinct, accurate, and entertaining! This session will give you the tools to create the most important 30 second speech in your arsenal!

 Mary Jo Fay is the author of five books, founder of three Meetup groups, regular gueston Huffington Post Live and other radio and TV shows, screenwriter, and speaker of many years, and is “The Voice of Dating, Mating, and Relating.”

JUDITH BRILES – Closing talk on Saturday
Create a $1,000,000 Speech from Your Book Starting Now!
Many authors just want to write … let the world find them. If that’s what you believe, go back to sleep. Authors may have the gift of the written word, yet they flunk with the verbal variety. Authors must be promoters and marketers. One of the best ways to market yourself and your book is via the speaking platform.  There are no boring subjects …there are too many boring speakers … and boring speakers suck.

What are the crucial and must have elements of a great speech? What are the common mistakes speakers need to avoid? Get Judith’s Briles’ perspective—someone who has been there, done that, creating over 4.8 million dollars in combined speaking fees and direct book sales in a 25 year period—of speaking and selling books at the highest level. Yes Virginia, you can make a living with your words.

Your take-aways include how to create and deliver a powerful message around your book and how to speak with impact!

• Do you want to create a speech that gets attention and bookings?
• Do you want to be known as the “go to” person and a “must have” speaker?
• Do you want to use powerful stories and humor within a presentation, even when your topic is controversial or could be considered a downer?
• Do you want to sell books whenever and wherever you speak?
• Do you want to connect with your audience?
• Do you want to know how to find people that will hire you?
• Do you want to know tips on how to go from FREE to FEE?

You’ve got the topic and the book … now what? Create the speech or workshop. Every speech needs a great beginning, nuggets with how-tos and action, and a powerful closing. You will learn how to structure a keynote speech or workshop. Your talk will sell books—lots of them. Learn how to find your audience, get them to pay you, and skyrocket your book sales. Learn how to “drill down” within your niche.

 Judith Briles is an international speaker, publisher, award-winning and best-selling author, and is known as The Book Shepherd. Judith Briles knows the publishing industry. She’s the author of 31 books—18 published with New York, the rest with her own imprint; has sold foreign rights to 16 countries; sold in excess of 1,000,000 in combined sales; is co-founder of Mile High Press; has created and chaired several publishing conferences; created the book shepherding concept in Colorado; and is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Author U®. Her latest books are Author YOU: Creating and Building the Author and Book Platforms, which was #1 on Amazon and Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers (2014)

Social Media Essentials

GEORGIA McCABE
Are You Fiddling with Social Media while Rome Burns?
Too many authors plunge into the authoring and publishing worlds without knowing what they are really getting into. Few get that there are elementary essentials that their success is tied to. Gizmos and gadgets are everywhere promising to double sales, build connections, and make you a star. It’s time to stop fiddling around. Ask:

• Does it seem like the marketing gurus want you to post like crazy on every platform?
• Are you pushed to get every high-tech bell and whistle?
• Do you think that someone else’s social media strategies created delusions of grandeur that @#$%! up you and your brand?
• Is there an elephant in the room that is stomping on your to engage in outsized and off-targeted social media strategies for you and your book?

 Georgia McCabe takes you back to basics—your strategy. When your strategy is King, your social media serves it well, technology becomes just another tool, and your Marketing Kingdom has righted itself—putting you in position to prosper.  If the elephant entered the room, here’s what you would say: Get ready for a social media smackdown, stupid!

SUSAN GILBERT
YouTube from Soup to Nuts … Getting Started with YouTube Marketing
Chalked full of step-by-step instructions for YouTube neophytes and pros, you will learn features you probably haven’t been using.  YouTube has grown to one of the most important and diverse sites online today and has proven itself to be a massively relevant marketing tool for authors.  Find out how to take advantage of it and soar your Internet presence and marketing!

•     How to Set Up Your YouTube Account
•     How To Upload Your Video to YouTube
•     How to Create a Playlist
•     SEO Tips for Ranking on YouTube

 Susan Gilbert uses her laser focus knowledge to coach and provide online marketing and social sharing programs for authors, speaker, experts and small businesses.  An entrepreneur since 1987, Susan has evolved years of traditional business experience into several cutting edge projects which includes her digital marketing company, Online Promotion Success.  Author and publisher of several books including The Land of I Can, and  Klout Score: Social Media Influence, How to Gain Exposure and Increase Your Klout, Susan combines online marketing with strategic thinking to create successful programs.  Working most often with authors and entrepreneurs, she understands promotion at a personal level as a regularly quoted resource in USA Today, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine and many more.

JOAN STEWART
Fast & Free Easy Ways to Research Journalists & Bloggers BEFORE You Pitch You and Your Book
If you want publicity, or you simply want a big-shot blogger to pay attention to you, you can deliver a decent pitch with a little writing talent and some research. You will learn how to find enticing details about the person you’re pitching and weave them into your pitch so it sends the message “I know exactly who you are, I know what you do and I’m here to help you.” Joan Stewart has accepted and rejected thousands of pitches as a newspaper editor, reporter and blogger.

• Why the “spray and pray” technique of offering the same pitch to multiple bloggers will brand you as a pest.
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Pitching.
• How to sleuth like Lieutenant Columbo and find out almost anything about the person you’re pitching.

 Publicity expert Joan Stewart, aka The Publicity Hound, works with authors who want to use traditional media for publicity, and social media to build a loyal base of raving fans. For almost two decades, she has also trained and coached thousands of CEOs and business owners, nonprofit executives, PR agency staff, publicists, marketing directors, speakers and experts via live events, online training, consulting, and her private mentor program. A prolific blogger, she is the author of four books on publicity and has an international following of subscribers to her popular ezine, The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week, in its 13th year of publication. Joan has helped her clients get coverage in top-tier media such as the Wall Street Journal and the Today show.

Product Essentials

DANIEL HALL
Audiobook Cashflow Fast & Easy: Step By Step Blueprint
Kindle publishing was awesome for independent authors and publishers… and it still it is. Learn the how-tos and whys of the next wave in digital publishing … AUDIOBOOKS!

Problem was that until very recently producing quality audiobooks and actually getting them in the major marketplaces like Amazon was dang-near impossible. That has changed! You are going to get a step-by-step Blueprint to get your written words to verbal and for sale

YOU can publish audiobooks versions of your Kindle and print-on-demand books and actually sell them on one of the biggest marketplaces in the world—Amazon.com and create royalty income cash flow.

• Squeeze more profits and royalty revenue from your Kindle and print-on-demand books by producing audiobook versions of them.
• Choose titles that are most likely to sell on Amazon.
• Professionally record your audiobook using completely free (but very powerful) recording software.
• Upload the audiobook to Amazon, iTunes and Audible.

 Daniel Hall is an attorney, nurse, blogger, speaker, publisher and bestselling author of both traditional and Kindle books. His training called Real Fast Book has helped thousands of authors to publish. His widely viewed webinars and trainings have expanded authors’ products and platforms.

JOEL COMM
Ka-ching!
Packed with Joel’s signature down-to-earth style, easy-to-understand content, and humorous delivery (not to mention thousands of pennies in an unforgettable visual demonstration), the audience’s eyes will be opened to new possibilities and they will feel equipped to begin making money online.

With so many people eager to create supplemental income or to entirely replace their current income, Joel Comm demonstrates how passive income is available to anyone willing to inject their passion and take entrepreneurial risks.  From social media to blogging and app creation to guerilla marketing, Joel will share some of his greatest successes (and failures), extracting lessons that you can apply to your own life and business. Joel will inspire you to unleash your creativity and grow your business like never before.

 Joel Comm is the New York Times best-selling author of The AdSense Code, Click Here to Order: Stories from the World’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs, KaChing: How to Run an Online Business that Pays and Pays and Twitter Power 2.0. He has also written over 40 ebookse and has appeared in The New York Times, on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, on CNN online, and on Fox News.

MEET THE PROS
Author Experts and Pros will host table runs in the final session before dinner Friday night. In rounds of 10, you will get laser tips and coaching in a variety of topics. There will be three 20-minute rounds, then you move to the next table.

TIM GARD
Change Your Author Game
After dinner, humorist Tim Gard will show you how to discover how to be more resourceful and resilient in this laughter filled session.  Tim’s rejuvenation and immediately applicable message will assist you in your writing productivity and enthusiasm.

 Tim Gard is a tears in your eyes, funny speaker coaches businesses on how to enhance productivity and enthusiasm. He’s a Hall of Fame speaker, an elite honor shared by fewer than 150 speakers worldwide.

THURSDAY – PRE EAGLE & EAGLET SESSIONS

GEORGIA McCABE & JUDITH BRILES
Strategic Visioning Plans that EVERY Author Needs to Begin the Publishing Journey
Once your book is written, the author hat is exchanged for the CEO hat. Few authors cross the bridge—either they didn’t know that it was part of the journey or they didn’t grasp that this is where their publishing empire needs to be grounded. An essential.

How to create a strategic plan that encompasses your skills and IDs will introduce the essentials that become the backbone of your publishing journey. It starts with you as the CEO. This is the ideal session for the perfect kickoff for the Eagle and Eaglet session.

Georgia McCabe is a digital photography pioneer and social media expert with an expertise in working with the author’s platform and book. As an author, speaker, trainer and social media and author evangelist, her perspectives on social media appear in print in her newest book, SocialMorphosis–Transforming Your Business through Social Media. Georgia is also a co-author of The Relationship Age with social media guru Mari Smith.

 Judith Briles is the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms and Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, is known as The Book Shepherd, a radio show host and the founder of AuthorU.org.

Advanced Essentials

BRET RIDGWAY
Beyond the Book – Taking Your Publishing Success to the Next Level

Your book is just one step in building your information marketing platform. Audio products, video products and home study courses allow you to take your expertise to different audiences at higher prices than a traditional book.

In this fast paced session, Bret Ridgway shares some of the key concepts you need to understand and shares some case studies of mistakes others have made that you want to avoid to increase your chances of success.

 Bret Ridgway is co-founder of Speaker Fulfillment Services and Author Fulfillment Services, companies that work with Authors, Speakers and Information marketers behind the scenes by providing product duplication and fulfillment services. He is author of several books, including The 50 Biggest Mistakes I See Information Marketers Make.

AMY COLLINS
Available Wherever Books Are Sold?!

Would you like to avoid the pitfalls, unnecessary expenses, and delays that could derail your book sales? Bookstores, Airport Stores, Airport stores, Amazon.com, Universities—where do you want your book to be sold?

Would you like to learn the way to get your book from where it is now to where you want it to be? It IS possible for small presses and first time authors to get it right the first time. Drawing directly from front-line experience, she shows you how to:

• Research the rules, price, and package needed to succeed in your chosen arena and genre
• Avoid the publishing predators and get the best people working on your project for the best price.
• Save time and money on the next steps of their book and publishing plan.
• Identify and focus on the correct medium, package, message for the market.
• Learn what to do to maximize their chances of being picked by major retailers.
• It is possible to do it yourself?!

The world of publishing has changed. Amy has stripped away the old fashioned practices that are no longer necessary and teaches you the new rules of selling to the marketplace.

  Amy Collins has over 25 years’ experience selling and marketing books. In 2006 Amy created a book sales company which quickly turned into New Shelves Distribution, the fastest-growing book distribution company in North America. New Shelves offers book sales, warehousing, distribution and marketing services as well as consulting and marketing for publishers and authors.

KELLY JOHNSON
Stage Right, it’s the Virtual Assistant … Add Time to Your Day for Doing the Work You Love and Deal with the Overwhelm Factor Factor

Whether you just started your business or have been a business owner for years, chances are one of the main reasons you started your business was to create a better balance between your personal and professional life.  You probably also had a passion for the service or products you offer and wanted to focus on working with your ideal clients.

Working with a virtual assistant helps to support both of those reasons!

• What is a Virtual Assistant?
• When should you start working with a Virtual Assistant?
• What are tasks I may delegate to a Virtual Assistant?
• How do I find a Virtual Assistant, and what aspects should I consider in working with a Virtual Assistant?
• Demo of “cool tools” that you can use to make your professional life easier–and maybe even have some fun!

 Kelly Johnson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant and works with authors to manage technical, creative, and administrative projects for their businesses and books.
Her areas of expertise focus on technical projects and online resources. She’s an article writing coach, conducts blog and website maintenance, knows how to implement an online shopping cart strategy, and is the owner of Cornerstone Virtual Assistance.
She can be reached at KJohnson@CornerStoneVA.com and her website is www.CornerStoneVA.com.

JUSTINE SCHOFIELD
Crowdfunding for Authors—The New Frontier to Fund Your Book Project
The aim is to educate about the opportunities crowdfunding provides authors, whether they are self-publishing or hoping to traditionally publish, as a means to raise funds, gauge their initial audience, and build their author platform pre-publication. Also, equally as important, we will provide insight into how to conduct a successful crowdfunding campaign, which will give authors the tools to more effectively publish.

• Learn what crowdfunding is and how authors can use it
• Why building an author platform pre-publication is so important
• Tips on how to run a successful campaign
• How to effectively use crowdfunding to publish successfully

 Justine Schofield is the development director of Pubslush.com, a global crowdfunding platform only for books. Authors can raise funds and gauge initial market viability for their book projects.  She specializes in social media and public relations and in the past she has worked with growing companies to develop their online presence. Justine has become a prominent industry voice for educating authors and publishers about crowdfunding and her work has been featured on many online publications.

Newbie Essentials

Randy Kuckuck  
This Little Book Went to Market – How to Get Your Book into the Book Trade
Starting with the printing process (quick review of POD vs short run printing), full explanation and tips on the book distribution process.  Amazon Advantage vs Sell on Amazon. Getting your book into Ingram for full book trade availability. Book distributors vs. book wholesalers. How do you get book stores to stock your book and is this really a good idea?

 Randy Kuckuck is the CEO of PublishNext with over 25 years of experience in the book publishing industry. Early in his career he formed Scarborough House out of the assets of Stein & Day Publishers, a major New York publishing house whose 800+ authors included Jack Higgins, E. Howard Hunt, and Elia Kazan. Randy gained extensive experience in book printing with BookCrafters and Millennia Graphics. He moved into online media information at All Media Guide and Muze, providing metadata, reviews, and biographies about music, movies, and books. After those companies merged, Randy returned to book publishing, founding PublishNext to help authors achieve publishing success.

KATHI DUNN
Does Your Cover Need a Make Over Before It’s Even Printed?
With a powerful cover, the author can become an undisputed bestselling author — not a fly-by-night 24-hour blast on Amazon. What most authors don’t get is that the book is a product and an intelligent professional cover design sells that product. Too many authors think it’s not a big deal, because:

• they’re going to find a publisher (ha!);
• they’re going to get it done at 99Designs (yikes); or
• they’ll do it themselves (OMG).

So many of the “seasoned” authors are not succeeding because of weak covers—attendees won’t be after hearing multi-award winning cover designer Kathi Dunn.

 Kathi Dunn and DUNN+ASSOCIATES designs stellar book covers and marketing materials for bestselling authors, traditional and indie publishers, and fast-track experts so they can build credibility, open new doors of opportunity, and create positive change in the world. Since 1985.

TAMMY BLECK
How to Turn Your Blog into Bucks!
If you’ve ever wondered if blogging could make a difference in your income, writing, book sales, and business, you won’t want to miss this presentation by the Witty Woman herself, Tammy Bleck.

Discover the 10 pitfalls every blogger should avoid and learn the 10 things every blogger should be doing. Learn how your little blog can make a big difference in your bottom line from a Huffington Post contributor, proficient columnist, published author, accomplished ghostwriter, blogger extraordinaire, Jewish Journal correspondent, writing and blogging coach, and distinguished speaker.

• Sell more books
• Open the door to writing for popular publications
• Lead to speaking gigs
• Become a paid market influencer
• Develop into radio interviews
• Drive massive amounts of traffic to your website
• Find out how to find your “tribe”
• Network with A list bloggers
• Get more Facebook and Twitter fans
• Engage with major blogging sites
• How to make Social Media work for your blog

 Tammy Bleck is the author of the book, Single Past 50 Now What? and the award winning blog, Witty Woman Writing. She is the founder of The Network, a monthly subscription coaching program that assists and supports bloggers, writers, authors, and small business owners as they grow their business.   She is a columnist, contributor to the Huffington Post and Jewish Journal, and ghostwriter.

She has been compared to Erma Bombeck and has been dubbed the female Andy Rooney. As a self-employed entrepreneur since 1976, with more than 6 start-ups to her credit, Tammy is a seasoned professional in the field of monetizing social media, blogs, and networking venues to build business and generate income. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.

NICK ZELINGER
Nuggets for Newbies: 10 Time & Money-Saving Tips for Authors Just Starting Out

Through the eyes of the designer, what is routinely seen that authors miss in working with their books and a designer? Nick Zelinger, multiple award-wining book designer of NZ Graphics, will offer up his top tips for newbies:

1. How to select the right designer for you
2. How to map out your plan of action BEFORE you do anything else
3. How to prepare your manuscript before handing if off to your designer
4. When to begin the process of cover design
5. How and where to go to investigate royalty-free images for your book
6. How and where to go to get your ISBN numbers and LCCN numbers
7. How many ISBN numbers do you need?
8. When to hand off your manuscript to a designer
9. When and where to go to select the right printer / eBook service
10. Secrets of good book design—inside and out.

 Nick Zelinger is NZ Graphics, a full service book interior and cover design company. Located in Colorado, he designs books (and creates logos, brochures, book marks) for authors and publishers worldwide.

STEVE REPLIN
The Wide World of Legalese: Stay Out of the Frying Pan and the Fire!
All authors need an overview of some of the important items that are “musts” when it comes to publishing. Do you know and understand how to keep and protect your intellectual property rights in copyright, trademarks, publishing contracts, working with a literary agent, co-writing, and how to understand the legalese in the publishing and authoring worlds? Do you know how to keep and protect your brand as it grows and becomes your strongest asset?  You will after this session:

• Copyrights
• Joint authorship
• Work for hire
• Trademarks
• Publishing contracts
• Literary agent contracts and business points of negotiation

 Steve Replin focuses his law practice on representing those in the creative arts such as writing, film, music, art, fashion, publishers, agents, managers, music labels and publishers, as well as other affiliated occupations. He is perpetually excited about helping new and emerging writers and other creatives build their careers with strategies around protected intellectual property rights, the right contracts, and a clear of where you want to go to in order to build your personal brand with strength and direction.

He’s the author of the award-winning book, Where to Go When the Banks Says NO, used in universities for their finance courses. His book is a roadmap for entrepreneurs seeking funds to either start a business or grow what they have.

 THURSDAY DEEP DIVE WORKSHOP

PENNY SANSEVIERI
How to Sell More Books … Now!
At the end of the day, for all of the marketing we do, for all of the Tweeting, Facebook-ing, and blogging we really just want to know if it’s paying off. Does any of this sell books? Ask yourself:

• How do I know if they are the right things to market my book?
• I don’t want to spend my life marketing, how can I get the most out of my efforts?
• Will any of this help me sell more books?

This Deep Dive Workshop will teach you not only how to identify your exact right market, but how to effectively and efficiently go after them.

• How to find more readers for your book.
• Is your website selling effectively? Here’s how you’ll know.
• Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest: which social site is right for me? If you’ve ever wondered “Do I have to be on all of these sites?” the answer is no, we’ll show you which ones are perfect for your book.
• eBooks: should you have one and how can you effectively market an eBook
• Marketing offline: pitching yourself to radio, TV, and print
• How to get more book reviews for your book!

It’s a Deep Dive Workshop you won’t want to miss!

 Penny C. Sansevieri is the Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts, Inc., a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU.

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns. She is the author of twelve books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the “leading guide to everything Internet.”

Accommodations

HYATT REGENCY DENVER TECH CENTER

7800 E. Tufts Avenue, Denver, CO 80237, USA

The hotel is providing Author U Extravaganza attendees the special rate of $119 a night (single or double occupancy).  This rate was good until April 9th.

Reserve your room now:

• Visit this link: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/AuthorU2014 and enter the rate code: G-5AUT
• Or call 1-888-421-1442 and ask for the AuthorU rate.

Denver International Airport (DIA) is 25 miles from the hotel. Recommend shuttle services, taxi or renting a car to get to the event.

Travel time is less than 35 minutes.

Raves

What Last Year’s Participants Said:

Mistakes that Authors Should Always Avoid

Oh my … don’t let the Turkeys get you down … we all make mistakes. You are going to get the common ones to always avoid PLUS plenty that you may not know about but will most likely run into during your authoring career. Why not have pre-knowledge so you can avoid a disaster—whether big or small—ahead of time?

Cost: FREE to all AuthorU members

Time: 7 pm Eastern to 8 pm

Register: On AuthorU website under Events or go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8734249161006608641

Tuesday, January 19^th (4 PT, 5 MT, 6 CT, & 7 ET)

Realize Your Big Screen Dream
What Authors Need to Know About Bringing Books to Film and Television

What does Hollywood want? More importantly, what do you have that Hollywood might want to make into a film, television movie or TV series. The truth about Hollywood is that it leaves no stone unturned when it comes to looking for content – but, it holds a high standard to what it wants and why, when and from whom. We’ll look at trends, genres, budgets, film and television buyers, representation and the many avenues you can explore to lead you to realizing your big screen dream.

Attempting to navigate Hollywood without a guide can be overwhelming and confusing – and leave your utterly lost and even downtrodden. But when you have a path and a plan and know the mostly unwritten and unspoken rules of the game – you are setting yourself up to win, and in some cases that can be an extremely big win. We’ll look at the books you have and the ones you haven’t written yet that will be the best fit for studios and networks. Plus what gets them excited to want to turn your book into a movie or television show.

Register:   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/887872503672904193
Date:   January 19, (4 PT, 5 MT, 6 CT, & 7 ET)

This is a WOWSA meeting you don’t want to miss. In fact, it will most likely be sold out, so don’t be a Tardy Bird and miss out. Get ready for an April Showers of Results!

Learn how to get your voice, your expertise, your book heard above the clatter and racket of the crowd! Around you are the voices of thousands of people competing for space in your customer and book buyers heads.

Create an Awesomely Short Book or Author Pitch

Authors are notorious about droning on and on about their books. When the mouth opens, a river of words flow … and flow … and flow. The listener spirals into drowning.

The savvy author knows how to pitch and hook the listener: short, snappy, sometimes saucy. The outcome is that books are sold.

• Learn the three words that every Pitch must elicit from the listener.
• Learn how to create a 30-second OR LESS Pitch that hooks the listener, sells books and gets the attention of producers and reporters.
• Learn the 5 elements that can make your Pitch soar.

This intensive workshop is loaded with HOT SEATS … meaning that you are pitching live, getting critique AND then being shown “how to” fix where and what you need “fix’in” in.

BONUS for REMOTE participants: If you can’t attend in person on Saturday, April 2^nd, you can still participate. The first 5 GOLD members who register for the event will be invited to create a short video (no more than TWO minutes) and send it to Office@AuthorU, subject line: Pitch video for April. It will be included in the program as a Remote Hot Seat … and will receive a live critique during the session. Remember Remote viewers receive the video the following week.

Learn how to connect with your buyer, a conference planner; anyone who you think has an interest in your book on Saturday, April 2^nd. If you are attending in person, there will be a Continental Breakfast—this means there are fruits, breads, either hard boiled eggs or cheese. If you are looking for hot eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, etc., we suggest you eat “breakfast” before you come.

Cost: Early Bird until March 26th- $22 for GOLD Members … all others pay $35
Tard Bird starts on March 27^th– $32 for GOLD Members … all others pay $45

Onsite Location: 290 E. Speer Blvd., Denver – CADA Building
Remote Location: anywhere you download your video the following week to
Time: 8 AM for networking, munchies
Register: AuthorU.org website under Events

Gold members need to login to Member site to register.

Get ready to create a variation of your book and expertise that Marvel Comics would be proud of! With the ability to tap into Amazon’s CreateSpace and IngramSpark, you too can join the crowd that had gotten the “how-tos” of creating workbooks, guidebooks, comics … even adult coloring books (not to mention kiddos). If you publish children’s books and adult coloring books or even if you publish nonfiction … OR, are thinking about doing it … you’ve got to see how this is done … and learn how quickly you can convert ANYTHING into a snappy and sassy new product.

Register here (even if you can’t attend live, you will get the replay the next day): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1767883132402882306

If you could do this quickly and easily, you can increase your monthly passive income with a snap of a finger (well kind of).

Here’s your question: Are you ready to catch a new wave of ideas and repurposing for you and your books? One that coattails to a top selling trend for adults?

There are a lot of sticky details when it comes to publishing physical books and physical color books that you will want to throw your laptop into the ocean because it could be so confusing! This webinar will be your lifeline … learn how and discover how you can add income to your cash water-way.

NEW! SPEEDBOAT Printing and Publishing Webinar on Thursday, August 11^th—it’s another freebie. There’s so much you can do to create new products that are a variation of what you currently have. The time is 4 PT, 5 MT, 6 CT and 7 ET. Expect a fast hour.

Even if you can’t attend “live”, register to get the replay: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1767883132402882306

Are you aware that adult and kid coloring books are hot in book sales? Would you like to know how to convert what you have written and create them? How about spiffy newsletters, guides, and workbooks?

Get ready for a speedboat of a webinar. We are going to show you how to make a full-color book fast. It’s all in this week’s WebinarGold on Thursday, the 11^th.

Get ready for the AuthorU Extravaganza’s Hot Event …

SOLD OUT as of June 19, 2015
for the September 15, 2016 date

Contact Info@AuthorU.org and ask to be placed on Waiting List–there is a possibility on one more spot opening up.

There are FOUR HOT sessions will be available at the 2016 Extravaganza September 15-17, 2016 … only ONE Attendee can get his or her toe in the Author Shark Tank at a time. Our panel will listen for a few minutes to your pitch (hear/read that: LISTEN) and then decide IF and HOW they will help the author in the book and publishing quest. The Author Shark Tank will be held late Thursday afternoon, September 15th.

The Author Sharks like passion, persistence and excellence. They will proved incentives to writers and authors who demonstrate it in publishing and authoring through a variety of awards that pertain to their own expertise and product line.

What’s the value to you? It could be money; it could be time; it could be a product – as in the Author Shark has a product that he or she sells all day for $897 and it’s yours, free; it could be the joint venture creation of a product that features the author and his or her book—that is blasted to mega thousands to buy; it could be printing reduction; it could be a book cover; it could be a discount on a layout; it could be … What it could be will be solely dependent on YOU and YOUR PITCH to hook them and could be worth many thousands of dollars. Or if you bomb, you may only end up with a shark tooth! To enter the tank, there’s a fee.

Last year, participants came away with many thousands of dollars.

Author Shark Tank participants are identified on a first-come, first-serve basis. You will get pre-conference coaching from Judith Briles prior to entering the Tank.

Save the date – get it on your calendar. And if you want a guaranteed spot in the Author Shark Tank, swim forward and let us know!

As you can see, there are ALREADY two guppies ready to start swimming. Are you ready to Dare Greatly?

 I’m ready to start swimming … add me in!

Summer BBQ gathering is Saturday afternoon, August 12^th

from 4 to 8 PM. 

YOU MUST register for this event.

Summer BBQ gathering is Saturday afternoon, August 12^th from 4 to 8 PM. The site is the CADA—the old Denver mansion that was converted to the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association headquarters. We will have access to the beautiful outdoor facilities that we don’t get to use … because we are always inside.

Registered, there is a fee—Just good eats, great catch up conversations and fun. It will be a beautiful summer day … and if there are “showers” – we will have space within the facility to be protected and continue to party. Get ready to roast s’mores around the firepit!

Location:   CADA, 290 E Speer Blvd, Denver on the corner of Speer and Grant.

Time:  4 – 8 PM

Cost:  $10 per adult … kids free

REGISTER HERE: 

Are you ready to tap into an ADULT craze that doesn’t to appear to have an end in the short-term horizon?

Did you know that adult coloring books are rocking it in book sales?

But consider this…

Adult coloring books and other low content types of books are easy to create and profitably publish IF you know how to use complicated graphics like Photoshop or Gimp Shop. 

But what if you don’t? As you like the idea … but where is the Dummies version?

Get ready … this webinar has that solution for you.

On Wednesday, November 8^th, we’re going to show you a brand-new way starting at NOON Mountain time—11AM Pacific and 2 PM Eastern.

Here’s the other great thing you can use this to create:

• Adult coloring books
• Children’s coloring books
• Maze Books
• Game Books
• Action Guides
• Journals
• Diaries

and much, much more!

Get ready to create new products that compliment what you have now. Create something spanking new. And have fun.

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8441475619286147586

Please register for Webinar: 30 Sizzling HOT Publishing, Marketing and Author Success TIPS on Jul 25, 2018, 5:00 PM MDT at:

On Wednesday, July 25th (7 ET, 6 CT, 5 MT, 4 PT) … 30 awesome and Hot Publishing Ahas and Tips from six amazing publishing pros: John Kremer, Judith Briles, Daniel Hall, Kathy Meis, Rebecca Finkel, Kelly Johnson, and Ashlee Bratton. Plus we always throw in a few more that you won’t want to miss! What author and writer don’t want savvy insider tips and ahas on publishing, publicity, book marketing, book design, making money on your book and the latest awesome gizmos and gadgets authors can use? Don’t bother to pop the popcorn–you won’t have time to eat it–you will be taking notes like crazy!

AND … Make sure you register even if you can’t attend the LIVE presentation … you will automatically get the replay the next day.

Get it on your calendar: WEDNESDAY, July 25th (4 PT, 5 MT, 6 CT, 7 ET)

Register NOW: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3825697224779831297 

Back by demand, get ready to soar your presentation success: in person and online… 

REGISTER: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4525274696563103747

You will learn: 
How to transform boring slides into amazing graphics displays guaranteed to WOW your audience! 

Are your slides boring? Are they putting your audience to sleep? Do they fail to drive the book sales, consulting, repeat bookings, and follow-on business? 

Speakers! Trainers! Consultants! Entrepreneurs! Marketers! Exciting PowerPoint slides are vital to your success. PowerPoint isn’t just for presentations and training in face-to-face settings. Today, our slides also take center stage in webinars, eLearning videos, blogs, podcasts, website videos, YouTube videos, marketing teasers, and more. Are your PowerPoint slides compelling enough to drive the engagement and business results you seek? 

Great-looking slides make you look good, your content more interesting, and your presentation more exciting and successful. Even if you have no graphics training or talent, you don’t need to hire a professional designer to make your slides look dramatically better. You only need to learn how to add Brain Appeal—the art and science of how to create eye-popping content. 

Join PowerPoint magician, Dr. Jaclyn Kostner, to learn how to catapult your slide engagement into the 21st Century. It is so easy to make your content look fabulous—when you learn these simple secrets. She is going to show you how to create… 

• Slides that your audience enjoys looking at 
• Slides that get your point across in stunning ways 
• Slides that are 21st Century … not yesteryear’s newsprint quality 

Get ready for the webinar: 

• Graphics Secrets to Create Eye-Popping PowerPoint Slides! 
Wednesday, March 5th at 4 PM Mountain Time 
• It will only go one hour, including questions. Short. To the point. Effective. 

REGISTER: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4525274696563103747

Your presenter is Dr. Jaclyn Kostner, a webinar engagement expert. She’s a best-selling business author with 20+ years of

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A step-by-step workshop on how to publish your book
Saturday, March 7, 2020

… It’s an Author and Writer Full Day Extravaganza

Did you know that over 80% of the public thinks there is a book in them? Are you part of the 80%? Want to learn what your options are in getting yours from your head; from all those loose notes that have piled up over the years; want to add “published author” behind your name this year?
It’s LEAP YEAR … are you ready to:

• jump into your publishing dreams and turn them into a reality?
• think about creating a new book or repurposing an old one?
• do a refresher on what’s happening in publishing today?
• Or, do you need to just mingle with other writers and authors and make 2020 the year that makes the difference for you?
Part of AuthorYOU’s mission is to educate emerging authors on how to write, publish and market their books. AuthorYOU is for the author who wants to be seriously successful.

Today’s publishing is a journey loaded with twists, turns, and potholes. AuthorYOU will show you how to avoid the labyrinth of publishing predators. We don’t want you to add “ripped-off” to your resume.

 How to publish (self, indie, traditional) a book from start to finish.
 What to expect when you are expecting—the dollars, cents, and sense of publishing is today.
 How to avoid the publishing predators of the self-publishing world.
 Essential information about editing your book.
 How to create a hero, not a zero, when it comes to book cover design.
 The importance of publishing printed books, digital books, and audiobooks.
 How to propel yourself and rise above the publishing marketplace with social media and metadata.
 Tips on avoiding the mistakes most authors make.
 The ABCs of Audiobooks and eBooks.
 Lists of vetted resources to use in your publishing quest.
 Timelines for the spectrum of publishing.
 Write and publish a book that grabs your reader.

You can, and it’s happening on the first Saturday in March. Lunch and workbook are included. Get registered to grab your seat. Space is limited.

bold Your Presenters Are:
Your Presenters: Drs. Ron Beach and Judith Briles along with CPA Pat Comiskey, IP attorney Julie Bernard, Book Designer Nick Zelinger, Audiobook wizard Richard Rieman

When: Saturday, March 7 from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: CADA, 290 Speer Blvd., Denver
Cost: Early Bird ends of February 29
AuthorYOU members – $47; Nonmembers – $67
After February 29: AuthorYOU members – $77; Nonmembers – $97

REGISTER NOW to save money … don’t be a Tardy Bird!

It’s a YES … YES, YOU CAN publishing event. Get ready to dump any beliefs that you can’t publish a book successfully. And sell books. And make money.

AuthorYOU and The Book Shepherd will deliver to you the “how-to”. The how-to create a book cover that grabs a viewer from the get-go. The how-to of creating a book that the reader “falls in” between the covers. The how-to becoming successful in a very crowded field.

VIP AuthorYOU Members Register Below $47 (Only register here if you are a current paid AuthorYOU member)

Part I. It’s about the Kids … Write and Publish a Children’s Book

Whether you are currently writing books for kids … or you hadn’t thought about it … January will kick off our Author Year of Possibilities. And why not start with books for kids? If you write for the adult reader, did you know that the book you have already written speaks to all ages when presented in another format?

• What message is in your book that children need to hear?

• • Fantasy can be changed to be appropriate for all ages.
  • Villains and Heroes softened for younger audiences.
  • The plot and theme can be used to share life lessons

• Because words change the world, you have an opportunity to change the lives of children. Changing your audience is simply talking to short people without big words.

• • The Giving Tree- teaches about selfishness and selflessness
  • Historical novels- teach about history (which our kids are not getting)
  • Oh the Places You Will Go- Can your novel teach about challenges

• Your characters are already developed. By changing them to animals, dragons, trolls, or children- the novel takes a different approach

• • Trolls are grumpy
  • Butterflies are freedom
  • An older child is a good mentor for the younger one reading

• Stories for the younger crowd are from one point of view

• • The cast of characters are fewer
  • Much will be shown in action
  • Shorter pieces of dialogue

• Scenes you have written can be shortened and enhanced with illustrations.
• Children’s books have the same conflict, climax, and resolution that your novel has.

• • The length of the conflict is sorter
  • The black moment will be midway through
  • The resolution is longer because you will explain more at the ending

• Most people think that you are dumbing down the story to write for children, but you are actually going to crank it up a notch.

• • You have to fit more content in fewer words.
  • Every word has to work harder to get the meaning across.
  • Be conscientious about word choice

Show up, have fun, and learn with the guidance of multi-bestselling, award-winning children’s and adult author, Lisa Reinicke.

Part II: We will explore marketing strategies for the New Year.

It’s true 50% of book marketing works—most likely you don’t know which 50% it was. Judith Briles is going to increase your odds and identify a number of tips, tricks, and strategies to kickstart the year.

Who should attend the January 4^th program? Authors who are already writing for kids. Authors who have been thinking about writing for kids. Authors who didn’t think they could or just hadn’t thought about it beyond their current book. Authors who want marketing tips and authors who just need to jet some “juice” to get back on track or get started in the first place.

When: Saturday, January 4, 2020
Where: Smokey Hill Library, 5430 S Biscay Circle, Centennial, CO  80015
Time: 9 am to Noon
Cost:  $25 for AuthorYOU members, $35 for NonMembers. Price increases $ 10 on December 31^st.

AuthorYOU Members $25 (Only Register here if you are a paid VIP AuthorYOU Member)

Most authors all right-brainers. We like sharing our wisdom from years of experience and insights peppered with real-life situations and events that connect with our readers. We write and publish to resolve their pain and provide solutions. We love the creativity of writing, building a character who may be a bit of an oddball and dropping in unexpected twists in plot.

Your Author Kingdom is a business … yes, yes, it is. Is there nutsiness to it? Maybe a bit of insanity? Yes, yes there is. Can you blink it away? Nope … you need some strategies to bring saneness and organization to you from the get-go.

Soooooo … are you hoping for the Business Fairy to fly in and deal with this side of your life? Stop hoping … we are going to help you out with answers to questions and beyond.

Oh-Oh … you are already writing, publishing, and selling books. Is it too late? You may be past the get-go. Good news: there is always a starting point, a review point, a makeover point. We will take you there and beyond.

In the BEGINNING, do you know:
~ What websites should you have?
~ When do you register with the State—do you need to?
~ What reports do you need to file?
~ What’s the best way to keep records?
~ What deductions are legit?
~ What taxes do you need to collect?
~ What licenses do you need?
~ If you put all charges on a credit card, do you need the receipts?
~ How should you file your sales tax?
~ If you ONLY sell wholesale on Amazon, do you need a sales tax license?
~ Should you charge sales tax if you sell out of state?
~ You need help on accounting … what should you use?
~ Should your publishing company be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or corporation?

What about ORGANIZATION … like your computer?
~ Do you ever lose files?
~ Want some awesome tips of organizing your writing? Your pictures? Your blogs? Your what?
~ How do you keep creating new material?
~ What file folders should be the minimum?

Postcards (quotes, book comparisons, presale, social media (twitter posts, LinkedIN articles, Instagram), Inventory, One page (author, book, speaker, trainer, coach), expenses, revenue, audiobooks advertising, eBook advertising, paperback advertising, interview questions, office equipment, book drafts, research, local press contacts (weekly paper, TV)

And MORE … we will talk about them all!

The answers are here. You should be too! And, bring your questions. This is a Q & A format.

Drs. Ron Beach and Judith Briles along with CPA Pat Comiskey are your guides.

EARLY BIRD ends on January 31 … the price will increase $10 forward
When: Friday, February 7
Time: Noon to 4.00
Where: Smokey Hill Library – Conference A
5430 S Biscay Cir, Centennial, CO 80015

AuthorYOU Members Register Below ($35 tardy bird) – Only Register Here if you are a Paid VIP AuthorYOU Member

Join me on Wednesday, February 12th … you ask her any question you have about book publishing, book marketing, writing a book … or just getting a “little juice” to start your engines and create the Vision for 2020.

Who’s Dr. Judith Briles? Let’s start with this: she has shepherded more than 1,000 authors and created 500 best-sellers and award-winning books. She’s knowledgeable and entertaining and has personally authored 37 books that have been translated to 17 languages in earned over 30 national book awards; sold a combined 1,000,000 copies; and generated in excess of $5,000,000 in revenues from combined book sales and speaking fees. As an advocate for authors, Judith knows publishing inside and out from both the traditional and independent/self sides. She hosts the podcast AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Radio Network that generates 30,000 to 100,000 downloads a month and is the Founder of AuthorYOU.org and the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame.

Judith knows publishing inside and out from both the traditional and independent sides. She is an advocate for authors within her blogs, podcasts and speaking engagements. What’s her pet peeve? Two words: publishing predators.

Post your questions as soon as you come on … Judith will come to you LIVE and bring you on the mic to respond to YOU and possibly ask additional questions.

It’s 90 minutes to hone in your 2020 vision for author and publishing success (or deal with the 2019 leftovers!).

You will be added to our preferred email list.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Join us for a webinar on Feb 12, 2020 at 12:00 PM CST.

REGISTER HERE: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4092444255458458113

A step-by-step workshop on how to publish your book
Saturday, March 7, 2020

… It’s an Author and Writer Full Day Extravaganza

Did you know that over 80% of the public thinks there is a book in them? Are you part of the 80%? Want to learn what your options are in getting yours from your head; from all those loose notes that have piled up over the years; want to add “published author” behind your name this year?
It’s LEAP YEAR … are you ready to:

• jump into your publishing dreams and turn them into a reality?
• think about creating a new book or repurposing an old one?
• do a refresher on what’s happening in publishing today?
• Or, do you need to just mingle with other writers and authors and make 2020 the year that makes the difference for you?
Part of AuthorYOU’s mission is to educate emerging authors on how to write, publish and market their books. AuthorYOU is for the author who wants to be seriously successful.

Today’s publishing is a journey loaded with twists, turns, and potholes. AuthorYOU will show you how to avoid the labyrinth of publishing predators. We don’t want you to add “ripped-off” to your resume.

 How to publish (self, indie, traditional) a book from start to finish.
 What to expect when you are expecting—the dollars, cents, and sense of publishing is today.
 How to avoid the publishing predators of the self-publishing world.
 Essential information about editing your book.
 How to create a hero, not a zero, when it comes to book cover design.
 The importance of publishing printed books, digital books, and audiobooks.
 How to propel yourself and rise above the publishing marketplace with social media and metadata.
 Tips on avoiding the mistakes most authors make.
 The ABCs of Audiobooks and eBooks.
 Lists of vetted resources to use in your publishing quest.
 Timelines for the spectrum of publishing.
 Write and publish a book that grabs your reader.

And a special segment on how to set up your Author Business (This is a makeup session due to the snow storm on February’s Monthly Meeting) 

You can, and it’s happening on the first Saturday in March. Lunch and workbook are included. Get registered to grab your seat. Space is limited.

bold Your Presenters Are:
Your Presenters: Drs. Ron Beach and Judith Briles along with CPA Pat Comiskey, IP attorney Julie Bernard, Book Designer Nick Zelinger, Audiobook wizard Richard Rieman

When: Saturday, March 7 from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: CADA, 290 Speer Blvd., Denver
Cost: Early Bird ends of February 29
AuthorYOU members – $77; Nonmembers – $97 (Tardy Bird Registration)
After February 29: AuthorYOU members – $77; Nonmembers – $97

It’s a YES … YES, YOU CAN publishing event. Get ready to dump any beliefs that you can’t publish a book successfully. And sell books. And make money.

AuthorYOU and The Book Shepherd will deliver to you the “how-to”. The how-to create a book cover that grabs a viewer from the get-go. The how-to of creating a book that the reader “falls in” between the covers. The how-to becoming successful in a very crowded field.

VIP AuthorYOU Members Register Below $77 (Only register here if you are a current paid AuthorYOU member)

YOUR Audiobook Creation Insights for 2020

Question: When should authors start marketing their books and use social media?
Answer: The day they start thinking that they will write and publish a book.

Okay … so most authors don’t respond, “I did exactly that.”
So, let’s reframe the question. How about:

Question: When should authors start marketing and using social media tools to implement their book and author success?
Answer: For both– NOW.

Question: Can I do both at the same time for my book and author success?
Answer: YES … You can. Register and attend Judith Briles COMBO Book Marketing & Social Media Unplugged ONLINE November 19-20.

• When your car begins to make an awful noise and just stops, you know you have a problem … right? Who do you call for help?

• When your basement is flooded; when you noticed that there are watermarks on your ceiling; or that water is seeping through your window edges, you have a problem … right? Who do you call for help?

• When your computer goes blank and doesn’t respond, you know you have a problem … right? Who do you call for help?

BUT … what about marketing your book? What about untangling the confusion of social media? Who do you call to untangle it all?

Judith Briles … that’s who you call.

If that is you, then how much time are you spending working on a marketing solution? What about social media and using it within your marketing strategies. What are you investing in your time, energy and money to learn and create a plan that works? Savvy authors have learned that you cannot solve your marketing problem the next day by simply repeating what you did yesterday, last week, last month … or certainly, last year. That’s author insanity.

SOLUTION: Spend two afternoons with me in November. Attend and participate in the ONLINE ZOOM Dr. Judith Briles Book Marketing & Social Media Unplugged. Successful authors believe and practice: if my author success is to be … it’s up to me.

Join me for the COMBO Book Marketing and Social Media Unplugged in November. It’s a two-afternoon intensive … And YES, there will be hot seats for each participant. You will be sent the workbook to download and PRINT out prior to the 15^th of November.

Dates: November 19-20, starting at NOON MT to 4.30 pm each day. We start on time. It will be recorded. All registrants will get recordings. And, there is a workbook that will be sent to you prior to the 19^th. The wise author will PRINT it out.

Location: Zoom on your computer—the exclusive link will be emailed to you.

REGISTER: Early Bird registration is $277 for AuthorYOU members and $377 for Nonmembers through November 7^th. Prices increase $50 on Monday, November 8^th.

Be there …

General Admission $377

Calling ALL Authors and Authors-To-Be!
It’s an Author and Writer 1 ½ Day

Did you know that over 80% of the public thinks there is a book in them? Are you part of the 80%? Want to learn what your options are in getting yours from your head; from all those loose notes that have piled up over the years; want to add “published author” behind your name this year?

Is this your COME BACK Year? Is 2022 the year that makes the difference for you? Are you ready to:

• Jump into your publishing dreams, turning them into reality?
• Create a new book or repurposing an old one?
• Do a refresher on what’s happening in publishing today?
• Or do you need to just hang out … to mingle with other writers and authors?

Part of AuthorYOU’s mission is to educate emerging authors on how to write, publish and market their books. Part is two take achieving authors to a higher level of success. And part is to create a support community of networking and information streams. AuthorYOU is for the author who wants to be seriously successful.

Today’s publishing is a journey loaded with twists, turns, and potholes. AuthorYOU will prep, guide, and demonstrate:

• The latest in marketing strategies that will create your tipping point.
• Essential information about editing your book that will turn your head.
• Master the “art” of story writing for both fiction and nonfiction that creates “the opening grab”.
• Ideas to spin you, your book and expertise to the viral sphere.
• How to create a hero, not a zero, when it comes to book cover design.
• Website designs with a twist.
• How to propel yourself and rise above the publishing marketplace with social media and metadata.
• Tips on avoiding the mistakes most authors make.
• The ABCs of eBooks.
• How to say “Bye-Bye to BORING” presentations and trainings.
• Write and publish a book that grabs your reader.
• What to expect when you are expecting—the dollars, cents, and sense of publishing is today.

+++ THREE special ticketed items. Barb Wilson will deliver an “early arrival” workshop Thursday afternoon fueled by the stellar results 9 Cube Plotting Techniques, a writing workshop delivered at the Breckenridge Extravaganza in 2018. For those who want to join in for dinner Friday evening—there will be a special dessert: humor entertainment.

You can, and it’s happening when October kicks off. Get registered NOW to grab your seat. Space will be limited.

Participate in The Gong Show!

Does lightning strike within the first page of your book? Will your readers keep reading.
Are your words magic?
Do they grab the reader within the first paragraph?
Our team of experts have their ears ready to hear your words read out loud and give you instant feedback.

Your Presenters Are:
IP Attorney Julie Bernard, Book Designer Nick Zelinger, Book and eBook Designer Rebecca Finkel, Book Marketing Expert John Kremer, Virtual Presentations and Webinar Guru Jaclyn Kostner, Wordsmith and Editing Expert Barb Wilson, Audiobook Expert Richard Rieman, Storyline Visionary Mara Purl, and Book Publishing and Marketing Expert Judith Briles.

WHEN: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 7th to April 9th

WHERE: Doubletree Denver Hotel, 13696 E. Iliff Place, Aurora CO
 *** Free Shuttle from Denver International Airport. Save Money on your room by Reserving your hotel at the link below. 

AGENDA

Author YOU Extravaganza 2022

THURSDAY

3 pm to 6 pm   The Ultimate Writing Workshop using the 9 Cube Plotting Technique with Barb Wilson

Dinner on your own

FRIDAY

8.00 am                     Welcome

8.05 – 9.30               Get Your Swagger … Your BOOK, Inc … Covers, eBooks, Swag, and Interiors with Rebecca Finkel  

9.30 – 10.45            The Audiobook Revolution with Richard Rieman

10.45 – 11.00          Break

11.00 – 12.30        The Power of Syndication with John Kremer

12.30 – 2.00            LUNCH and Author’s Gong Show

2.00 – 3.30               Copyrights, Trademarks and the New Rules with Julie Bernard

3.30 – 5.00               Cover to Cover: the Ins and Outs of Successful and Sales-Worth Book Design with Nick Zelinger

6.15 – 8.30               Dinner & Comedy

SATURDAY

7.00 – 8.30               Firestorm Sunrise Marketing with Judith Briles

8.30 – 10.00            The Color of Your Characters with Mara Purl

10.00 – 10.15          Break

10.15 – 11.45          Powerful Presentation that DAZZLE! with Jaclyn Kostner

11.55 – 12.00          Wrap up and THANK YOU!

FRIDAY April 8th 8 am – 5 pm … General Session Workshops
The Author Gong Show at Noon. There is Friday Evening Dinner & Entertainment.

SATURDAY April 9th 7 am to Noon … General Session Workshops
Sunrise Workshop at Bonus EVENTS

For early arrivals: THURSDAY April 7th 4 – 6 pm  –  9 Cube Plotting Techniques, a writing workshop with Editor and Author Barb Wilson $35.

REGISTRATION:

For AuthorYOU Members Extravaganza Full Access Package (Includes Dinner & Entertainment, and the Writing Workshop) – $312 (Only Register here is you are a paid member of AuthorYOU)

Ala carte Sessions

FRIDAY Night Dinner and Entertainment
$50

General Session, AuthorYOU members – $227; (AuthorYOU Members Save $100)

General Session, Non Members/General Admission Tickets – $327;

HOTEL ROOMS: $115 
Call: 1-800-445-8667 and ask for the AuthorYou group block at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Denver-Aurora.

Book your hotel room here: bit.ly/EX2022Hotel

It’s a YES … YES, YOU CAN publishing event. Get ready to dump any beliefs that you can’t publish a book successfully. And sell books. And make money.

AuthorYOU and The Book Shepherd will deliver to you the “how-to”. The how-to create a book cover that grabs a viewer from the get-go. The how-to of creating a book that the reader “falls in” between the covers. The how-to in becoming successful in a very crowded field.

Creative Juice for Writers and Authors

Feeling stifled? Uninspired? Tired of the blank page?

Feeling as if writer’s block is an unwelcome houseguest that never leaves and eats all the ice cream?

It’s time for a little creative juice!

In this webinar, Melody Jones, Writing and Creativity Coach, will help you move past the writing blahs by tapping more deeply into that creative core we all have.

Tuesday, April 26 at 4 p.m. MT … REGISTER: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2465273717260940558

What we’ll talk about and you will learn:

• What is creativity – exactly?
• A dog’s life, and what that has to do with creativity.
• Artistic expression, and no, being able to draw a stick figure is not a prerequisite
• Your body as a creative tool.
• Valuing creative energy in the ordinary.
• Structure as a framework for creativity.

You’ll leave with a refreshed mind and new ideas and tools for moving past the writer’s doldrums.

Interaction and questions are encouraged!

Melody will send all participants handouts, and everyone who attends this special AuthorYOU webinar hosted by Judith Briles qualifies for a special discount on an upcoming creativity event. Join us!

REGISTER: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2465273717260940558

Melody Jones is a published author and poet and loves all things creative. She was an early adopter of Etsy, selling numerous handcrafted paper and jewelry items. Melody has worked with hundreds of writers and authors since 2011 as a social media consultant. After 30 years in the Denver metro area, she moved back home to Colorado’s Western Slope last year and is now the President of the Western Colorado Writers’ Forum. Visit her website at www.MelodyJonesAuthor.com.